On The Dormition Fast & Feast
by Fr. John A. Peck Dormition is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Christian faith, so we here at St. George Church, are offering an article on Dormition and a few things which we hope you will find valuable as you prepare this festal sermon. 1. Preach the Gospel Don’t forget to tell your friends the Good News! The only reason we are celebrating Dormition at all is because of the incarnation, suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Read more...]
On the Therapeutic Nature of Orthodoxy
by Fr. John Romanides Some people are convinced that sacred tradition is guarded by episcopal synods. But contemporary synods in the Orthodox Church are not like the local or ecumenical councils of bishops in the age of the early Christians, because the early councils were composed of bishops who had mastered the Church’s therapeutic method. Their aim in coming together as a council was not merely to safeguard the Church’s doctrine and liturgical order, as is the case today. No, their aim was [Read more...]
Church Singing
by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) Choir rehearsals and vocal music lessons have begun at St. George in anticipation of the coming festal season. We’ll be publishing some information on the importance of theological singing and chant, and encourage all members, catechumens and inquirers to consider joining these rehearsals as a part of your own spiritual edification. See our Calendar for the schedule of Choir rehearsals. Remember, our choir leads the people of God in their prayers and exaltations, and is the crown of our [Read more...]
The House of Spiritual Dew
I found this excellent piece from St. John Chrysostom on Dcn. Andreas Blom’s blog, Opuscula Theologica. Enjoy! “Just as a calm and sheltered harbour provides great security to the ships moored there, so does the temple of God: when people enter it, it snatches them away from worldly affairs as from a storm, and gives them the capacity to stand and listen to God’s words in calm and security. This place is the bedrock of virtue and the school of spiritual life…You need [Read more...]
On How Your Dog is Morally Superior To You
by St. Basil the Great from the blog, Lord I Have Cried Unto Thee. Another patristic witness of the sentiment and wisdom behind the words of Abba Xanthios. “A Dog is better than I because he loves and does not judge.” So I just recently referred a friend to St. Basil the Great’s Hexaemeron – his fourth-century commentary on the six-day creation of the world found in the book of Genesis – and I started re-reading and came across the passage that will [Read more...]
Which Came First: The Church or the New Testament?
By Fr. James Bernstein A convert to Christianity from Judaism, Fr. James was a teenage chess champion whose dramatic conversion experience at the age of 16 led him to Christ, and is also one of the founders of Jews For Jesus. His journey led him directly to the Orthodox Christian faith, and his journey is recounted in his book “Surprised By Christ,” the story of a man searching for the truth and unable to rest until he finds it. He is the priest [Read more...]
First Ever Russian Orthodox Church in Arabia
On June 2, 2011, Ascension Day, the cupolas of the Orthodox church dedicated to St. Philip in Sharjah, OAE, were crowned with golden crosses. It is the first Russian Orthodox church to be built not only in the OAE but in the whole Arabia. It is also the only church in the peninsula to be crowned with crosses. Before installation, the crosses were blessed by the rector of the Russian parish, Igumen Alexander Zarkeshev. The five crosses and nine decorative stars covered with [Read more...]
Orthodox Church Consecrated In Iceland
Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Administration for Foreign Institutions Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk consecrated yesterday the foundation stone of the first Orthodox church in Iceland. Addressing the audience, State Duma Vice Speaker Lyubov Sliska said St. Nicholas was intentionally chosen as the patron saint of the Russian Orthodox community in Iceland. The holy patron of travellers and sailors is most popular in this country. She expressed hope that Russian business community supports the construction and the church put up by joint efforts of [Read more...]
Orthodox Church for the Deaf & Blind
This is a classic, Orthodox approach to a real problem with a beautiful result! A conventional Orthodox service can leave blind and deaf people feeling lost. But one church in Moscow has changed all that by catering for its congregation’s special needs. Most of the congregation at the Tikhvin Icon of Our Lady Temple are deaf or blind, and it is only thanks to the pioneering efforts of the church that they are able to come and express their faith. The church was [Read more...]
Russian Church Responds To Bin Laden’s Death
May 3, 2011 Interfax The elimination of the ‘number one terrorist’ does not solve the terror problem, said Archpriest Georgy Roschin, deputy head of the Russian Orthodox Church Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations. “The Russian Orthodox Church will not welcome the jubilation that we have seen in some countries. Whoever is caught by death, be they the greatest evil or terrorist, they will be judged by God only,” Father Georgy told Interfax-Religion. Instead, he urged believers “to continue to improve themselves [Read more...]
